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Westgate
Westgate is the oldest, richest and most corrupt port in the Sea of Fallen Stars. It is an open city that welcomes all races and all religions. Who Rules: A council of rich, noble merchant families, who elect a head, the Croamarkh, every four years. The current Croamarkh, serving his second term, is Luer Dhostar (LN hm F7), head of the Dhostar noble family. Who Really Rules: Depending on who you talk to, either any one of a handful of warring merchant clans, or the Night Masks (see below). Population: 96,000 (estimated, yearround), rising to about 114,000 in summer. Major Products: Perfume, (excellent and highly-prized), wine (which varies wildly in quality, but is widely sold), and pottery (rather poor). Armed Forces: The city watch (militia) polices the town, and consists of 2,200 leather-armored F2s to F4s, armed with clubs, short swords, daggers, and capture-nets (successful attack roll entangles target, equalling the effect of a slow spell and allowing automatic hits by opponents for the next two rounds). The watch is headed by Durgar the Just (LN hm P(of Tyr)14), who serves as the city's judge. Most serious crimes require a jury of merchant citizens for sentencing. Westgate has no standing military, and does not patrol the roads outside the city walls. In times of need, mercenaries are hired for the city's defense; there are usually around 3,000 mercenaries for hire in the city at any given time. The larger mercenary forces operating out of Westgate accept a small retainer to make themselves available in times of need, to prevent them from hiring with those who seek to take over the city by force, and to prevent them from attacking the city or engaging in excessively bloody intercompany feuds. Notable Mages: * Chalaratha (CG hef W12), .the Dancing Maiden, a breathtakingly beautiful lady who owns and runs a scent-making company, and seldom goes adventuring. * Gondeth (NG hm W15), a calm, diffident caster of spells for fees, and a seller of scrolls, who never goes adventuring. * Mintassan (NG hm W(T)19), a whimsical, impulsive traveler of planes and delver into ruins, odd corners, and hidden places. He loves adventures and is rumored to have powerful magical items. * Tersonm (LN hm W18), a coldly formal seller of potions and scrolls, who will tutor for fees. Everything in his abode seems to be magically trapped or guarded, and he is a dangerous foe. Notable Churches: * Painbliss Hall, temple to Loviatar; High Whipmistress Spyrytara Xalass (LE hf P16); 27 priestesses, 34 followers. * The House of the Wheel, temple of Gond; High Artificer Ashuntira Elhorn (N hef P14); 11 priests, 26 followers. * The House of Spires and Shadows (the Shadowspires.), temple of Mask; Shadowlord Demarch Hond Rhauballa (NE hm P13); 9 priests, 21 followers. * The House of Ilmater, temple of Ilmater; High Priest Hunn Irblast (LG hm P13); 6 priests, 12 followers. * The Hidden House, temple of Leira; High Mistmistress Halautha Immerstar (CN hf P14); 6 priests, 4 followers. * (The Place of) Waiting Death, (secret) temple of Talona; Most Fatal Horror Ilua Yhestin (CE hf P13); 4 priests, 4 followers. * The House of the Winds, temple of Talos; Stormlord Elort Rhomsivin (CE hm P12); 3 priests, 4 followers. * Shrines to Beshaba, Lliira, Malar, and Shar. Notable Rogues. and Thieves. Guilds: The Night Masks, a band of thieves, assassins, and enforcers who operate largely by night. They openly leave their domino-mask symbol or token at the scenes of crimes, or as warnings to those they would coerce into other courses of action, and try to run the city's affairs by threat and manipulation. On many mornings, blood and bodies are found in the streets, or floating in the harbor, as the Night Masks clash with desperate merchants, armed travelers, or with the well-armed private bodyguards of the noble families. The Masks don't entirely rule the city, yet, but they're trying. The strength of the temples of Loviatar, Mask, and Talona reflects their numbers and influence; they are currently thought to be almost 2,000 strong, mostly T2s to T6s. The Masks command a collection of stolen magic, and use wands of hammerblows in their work (*FR4). The leader of the Night Masks is known as "the Faceless" and is currently thought to be a doppleganger mage who can appear faceless, or perhaps a mind flayer. Whoever or whatever leads the Masks, it commands powerful magic and can leave a domino-mask brand burned into those earning the displeasure of the Faceless. The Night Masks are willing to offer sanctuary to other thieves and thieving organizations in hiding or on the run. Their one requirement is that the group offered sanctuary does not conflict with the aims of the Night Masks. Such groups as the Fire Knives of Cormyr have used Westgate in the past as a place to hide. The city remains a hotbed of individuals who prefer to carry out their business with a minimum of outside interference. Equipment Shops: Full. Adventurers' Quarters: Westgate has two sorts of inns; those outside the walls, for travelers willing to accept less protection against brigands in exchange for better protection against full-scale thievery, and those inside, where thieves abound. * Of the first sort, the Leaning Man (fair/moderate) lies outside the West Gate, * next to the Spitting Cockatrice (good/ expensive) * and the Empty Fish tavern. * Just south of these, outside Mulsantir's Gate, are the Westward Eye (good/ moderate) * and the Gatereach (excellent/ expensive). * All by itself, outside the city walls to the southeast, is the Rising Raven (good/ moderate). * Inside the city, travelers can choose between the Jolly Warrior, just inside West Gate (excellent/expensive); * the Gentle Moon (good/moderate); * and The Black Boot, a nasty place of nightly murders and brawls, just by the River Bridge (poor/cheap). Important Characters: * Ainsbrith (CN hm F1, S: zoology); member of the Guild of Naturalists, expert on monster poisons. * Bremaerel (LN hm F2, S: zoology); member of the Guild of Naturalists, expert on stirges. * Farene (CN hf T9), a well-known merchant: "cosmetics, make-up, and disguises; scents most rare and fine, carefully selected for you by a lady of taste and distinction, Farene the Far-Traveled," read her handbills, and every word is true. She is also a flirt and a gambler, known to be armed with poisoned needle-blades concealed all over her daring clothing. * Nathchim (CN hm F4), a veteran mercenary leader who has acquired both tactical battlefield wisdom seemingly second to none, and an impressive array of personal magical items to both defend himself and launch devastating attacks. * The Men of the Basilisk are wealthy, powerful merchants and nobility who use murder, torture, bribery, and fear to further their own fortunes in the intrigues of Cormyr, Sembia, Westgate, and Iriaebor. Thought to be based in nearby Teziir, they operate very quietly in Westgate, to avoid angering and being brought into open conflict with the Night Masks. They do -with poisoned blades by night and temporary alliances between noble house bodyguards- thwart many Night Mask plans, but take care to leave no traces behind for the Masks to follow up. Important Features in Town There are legitimate merchants even in the Harbor Loop such as Okuzo’s Imports which specializes in items from Kara-Tur. But if you’re looking for strictly legal purchases, stick to the Market Triangle. Just walk toward the Tower at the center of the district and you’ll find plenty of merchants hawking their wares. If you’re interested in something out of the ordinary, try Mintassan’s Mysteries. The wizard who runs the place is one of Westgate’s most famous citizens. Undergate is Westgate’s worst-kept secret, an underground hangout for the city’s most colorful inhabitants. In this dark, semi-private haven, those who frequent Undergate - its denizens, one could call them - conduct their shadowy business away from the prying eyes of the surface. Local Lore Westgate's name comes literally from its role as the Inner Sea's "Gateway to the West" the oldest, richest, and most corrupt port offering overland caravan facilities between the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Sword Coast and -by ship from thence- lands south of it, avoiding the mountains, plains, and deserts of Calimshan and the nomad lands. Westgate today is a vitally important, wealthy city of intrigues, high fashion, and striving ambition. A hundred or more years ago, when it was a tiny kingdom, it was also wealthy and marked by intrigues, high fashion, and driving ambition. Folk around the western Inner Sea view it rightly as a cesspool of decadent evil, eager to make financial deals with pirates to leave its ships alone and attack those of other ports, or to arrange shortages and wars to drive prices up. The last king of Westgate was the hated tyrant Verovan, who perished on the rocks of the Inner Sea during a ship race, the treachery of the Red Wizards of Thay. Verovan's regalia and court coffers were plundered within three days of his death, but the vast personal treasury he commanded has never been found. Local legend has it that the royal coffers were guarded by fearsome monsters, and reached only through magical portals hidden somewhere in the royal palace (now Castle Vhammos). One tale says that one of these doors hangs in midair, at the end of a magical bridge reaching out from a high battlement of the northernmost tower of the palace. The truth of this tale is unknown; several sprawled bodies have been found at the foot of the tower over the years, but their falls may have had nothing to do with the tale, and more to do with current politics and business dealings. Westgate's dripping, largely-flooded sewers are said to be the lair of several horrible water monsters, including a huge, great quezlarn (*FRE2) that has been known to snatch sailors off the decks of ships moored in the harbor. The intrigues, murders, and supposedly hidden treasures of this city are endless. The recent crash of a huge red dragon in the northern portion of the city has been cleaned up and rebuilt, though rumors abound that the creature which slew the dragon is still at large. Other mouths whisper about liches and vampires; Westgate houses an entire crypt of liches, somewhere under one of the nobles' castles, with vampire guards! Organizations and Factions * Night Masks (guild): thieves' guild. * Fire Knives: Assassins' guild formerly in control of the city, driven out by the Night Masks * Nine Golden Swords: Shou organization with criminal roots by way of Telflamm, opposes the Fire Knives * Zhentarim: mercenary company Noble Houses * Athagdal: symbol is a set of russet weighing scales * Bleth: symbol is seven suns * Cormaeril: symbol is a red wyvern and a silver hor * Guldar: symbol is a black hawk * Malavhan: symbol is a red sun * Ssemm: symbol is an ivory bird's claw * Thalavar: symbol is a green feather * Thorsar: symbol is a blue hand holding corn * Urdo: symbol is a yellow eye * Vhammos: symbol is a steel-gray open hand History This area of the Dragon Coast was first settled by humans from the Vilhon Reach roughy 3,000 years ago. The largest place was the human town of Westgate, ruled cruelly by the great topaz dragon Kisonraathiisar. In -349 DR Saldrinar destroys Kisonraathiisar and becomes Westgate's first human king. - 286 DR Year of Foul Awakenings Westgate falls during the course of a single night to a small army of elite mercenaries who emerge from catacombs beneath the city. By morning’s light, King Thorndaer and his entire family are dead, and King Orlak rules over the oldest port in the western Inner Sea region. Until the end of his reign, the Night King holds court only after the sun has set, is never seen during daylight hours, and always keeps his entire face (except his eyes) shrouded with a black-and-white-hatched porcelain mask, leading many to suspect (correctly) that the long-lived monarch of Westgate is a vampire. - 137 DR Year of the Blooded Sunsets A company of paladins from the Vilhon Reach in service to the Morninglord overthrows the Night King. Following the vampire’s destruction, the group’s commander, Dawnknight Gen Soleilon, is crowned king of Westgate. The Radiant King rules wisely for many years, rebuilding Westgate’s fortunes and establishing the Soleilon dynasty. The paladin-king’s most notable accomplishment is the erection of the city’s first stone walls and the construction of an extensive sewer system. Unbeknownst to the general populace, Westgate’s deepest catacombs remain home to at least a dozen vampires created by their former monarch. The undead legacies of Orlak war amongst themselves for nearly a year before a new Night King is chosen to rule Westgate’s underworld. From this day forward, the Argraal of Orlak and the Fangs of the Night King are held by the preeminent vampire “descended” from the original Night King. 383 DR Year of the Quelzarn Tales first spread throughout the city of a sea serpent haunting Westgate’s harbor and sewers. The quelzarn, as the eel-like beast is known, becomes a nigh-legendary denizen of Westgate’s underworld and the favorite subject of bard’s tales. 927 DR Year of the Red Rain As his first official act, King Altarl bans all organized religious activity within the city walls, and all existing temples are torn down, their land seized in the name of the new king. The Templeban Edict extends beyond the city walls as well, permitting only simple shrines within a day's walk of Westgate. In the nine decades that follow, hearkening back to an earlier age, no less than seven rings of standing stones are established on a ring of seven hillocks just beyond the last rise west of Westgate. One such site, the Hill of Fangs, is established by worshipers of Moander. The Abomination's hilltop shrine consists of a ring of eight great red stone plinths shaped like fangs curving inwards. The other faiths include Garagos, Ghaunadaur, Jergal, Savras, Silvanus, and one whose name has been forgotten. Unbeknownst to the general populace of Westgate, secret, subterranean temples are established beneath most or all of the seven hillocks, as well as in the catacombs of the city itself, in direct violation of the Templeban Edict. 1018 DR Year of the Dracorage Early in his reign, King Sarvyn reverses the long-standing royal edict banning temples from the city proper. In the years that follow, numerous temples are constructed in Westgate proper, and the shrines and secret temples west of the city dating back to the Campion Dynasty are abandoned. Over time, the seven hillocks become known as the Shrines of the Seven Lost Gods, even though several of those faiths are still venerated in Westgate. (Curiously, the term ‘Seven Lost Gods’ has its roots in antiquity. It more properly refers to seven demipowers that bowed down before Bane long ago: Maram of the Great Spear, Haask the Voice of Hargut, Tyranthraxus the Flamed One, Borem of the Lake of Boiling Mud, Camnod the Unseen, and two whose names have been forgotten.) 1248 DR Year of the Cockatrice Fed up with the excesses of the monarchy, the noble merchant families of Westgate establish the position of Croamarkh, an elected head-of-state whose term of office lasts four years. House Vhammos occupies the former royal palace shortly thereafter and renames the building Castle Vhammos 1353 DR Year of the Arch The Night Masks, a band of thieves, assassins, and enforcers who operate largely by night, are established by a doppelganger mage known as “the Faceless” and a handful of merchants, who take to calling themselves the Night Masters. 1369 DR Year of the Gauntlet A long-lost stasis clone of Manshoon awakens in the catacombs of Westgate as the Manshoon Wars begin. Prior to his awakening, this Manshoon clone had been abducted and drained by the Night King, a powerful vampire. As a vampire, the Manshoon clone hunts down and kills his creator, becoming the next Night King in turn. The Manshoon clone then sets about rebuilding the Night Masks to serve his ends, leading to rumors in Westgate that “the Faceless” has returned. In 257 DR, pirates from the Pirate Isles invade Westgate and start a 200 year reign of Pirate Kings. Misc Rinara - a rogue and a former member of the Night Masks, the first of 3 possible companions in the game. The other two companions are Mantides - a fighter (fallen paladin), located in the Black Eye Tavern in the Harbor Loop district; and Charissa - a cleric of Tyr, located at the Temple of Lathander in the Arena District. House of Ssemm: The house of Ssemm is the richest Guild house of Westgate. They are the ones that officially won the war(even if it contines but in a more quiet manner) They own Samurais servants and they have a very powerful ally that comes from another plane that has given them an advantage. They are rumored to be highly corrupted. But no clear proof was ever provided to support such a fact. House Bleth: Renown for their Dragoons, the House of Bleth is the main enemy of the House of Ssemm, they where the ones that ignited the feud when they caught wind of the corruption that was going on in House Ssemm. 30 years after then war ended one of their scholar found a part of a creation pattern along with a schema that would indiacte where the remaining pieces reside. Name: Jalius Taliuson Race: Gnome Class: Beguiler 3 Alignment: True Neutral Personality: Jalius is a smart, sophisticated gnome who is well-read and extremely articulate. Jalius is upbeat and always has a friendly (fake or not) smile. He is helpful to those who need advice and those who need his services. He has a knack for getting his way but he is selective in which issues he wants to push. He tends to be the sort who likes to work... "behind the throne" as the saying goes. He rarely likes to confront his enemies. Instead he likes to resort to intrigues, plots, and general side-stepping. He uses his innate magical talents to augment his abilities of speaking Appearance: Jalius is often found wearing various styles of business suits, especially when he is running his small bazaar. He has a small container (think like a pocket watch size container) attached to the waistband of his suspenders and tucked into his pocket. When he is on the road, he wears a leather vest over a loose shirt and breeches that fall to mid-calf. He wears soft-sole shoes that help muffle any sound he'd make sneaking around. The breeches are held up by a pair of belts, off which a couple pouches hung from. Background: Jalius was the sixth out of thirteen children. Jalius's father was a merchant and his mother was a teacher. From a young age, Jalius was taught the power of knowledge, and the power of money. When he was old enough to go to school, he excelled at his studies. He studied everything from mercantilism to politics to spellcasting to even rogue skills. He used the drive that his mother and father had given him to always outdo himself whenever he could. When he graduated, he had learned the art of deceptive magic, the silver-tongue of a con-artist, and the bargaining power of a merchant. After he graduated, Jalius opened up his first business. It was only a small shop, and he only sold mundane items, but it was his first none the less. He made some decent coin in the first couple of months, allowing him to expand the wares he could sell. Not long after that, he had several contracts with a few small adventuring parties. These contracts typically stated that the parties could buy (or order if Jalius didn't have it in stock) equipment and other items on credit in return for his choice, on a scaling rate (i.e. The better they did, the more profit he made), of items the groups brought back. Pretty soon, he began dabbling in adventuring himself. He took an odd variety of jobs, often selling off any left over wares from the job. As time went by, he took on more and more sophisticated jobs. From theft to persuasion to spying, Jalius has done it all. He slowly garners reputation amongst certain circles about his reliability and his abilities. Jalius also opened up a small road-side bazaar shop that he carries around in his "handy haversack." He takes certain things that he acquires from his travels and sells them at fair price to those who are interested in paying. Rodel Ituralde Race: Human Class: Duskblade 3 (PHB2) Bio: Rodel was born as the third son into a low noble house. He was expected to get an education and then start a business to and to his family's wealth. Rodel didn't do that. He used the money his family supplied him to train himself in whatever field took his fancy. Magic, history, warfare were all things he taught himself in. It was in an old tome about elves that he first learned about the dustblades and their pairing of magic and fighting. Rodel immediately fell in love with the idea and soon started to train himself in the ways the book described. Unfortunately his family only tolerate this behavior for so long. His father kicked him out of the family saying, "until you start acting like a member of this family you aren't a member of this family." Rodel thought this was hilarious and told his father that, he "never acted like a father and should be kicked out as well." Needless to say he burnt down that bridge. Half trained Rodel continued the duskblade ways he had learned in the book. Training as he went from town to town taking jobs he thought would lead him to great adventures but never did. He joined countless parties to rescue the person or to recover the holy item. Always they were warned about the great hardships. But they never faced anything more than a few goblins there, or a few thieves there. Rodel keeps moving from town to town, city to city in hopes of finding a real challenge. Westgate is compromised of four districts, all of which are accessible in the game: The Harbor Loop, Market Triangle, Arena District, and the Undergate. Undergate is even scummier than the city itself and adventurers who wander in are considered easy prey. The city of Westgate is separated into five wards: The South Ward, The Trades Ward, The West Ward, The Dock Ward and the River Ward. The Trades Ward takes up the southwest corner of the city and contains tradesworkers, shops, private homes and the temple to Mask. The South Ward takes up the southeast corner of the main city, up to the river, and contains many noble houses and high priced shops. The West Ward takes up the northwest corner and contains many warehouses, inns, taverns and temples. The Dock Ward takes up most of the northen part of the city and contains docks, warehouses, drydocks, taverns, and temples. The River Ward covers the eastern part of the city, around the river Thunn and contains a mix of warehouses, taverns, temples and inns. The Gilded Girl is in the River Ward, on the western part of the Harbor Loop(street). The Market (Located in the Trades Ward, naturally) is already full of activity. All types of venders squabble for space to set up their tents for the day in the mostly dirt, open air marketplace. The marketplace is quite well protected, as The Tower(the citadel of the City Watch) stands right in the middle of the marketplace. Dozens of city guards and gatekeepers(government officials) fill the marketplace. Category:Metropolises Category:Locations on the Dragon Coast Category:Settlements on the Dragon Coast Category:Locations in Interior Faerûn Category:Settlements in Interior Faerûn Category:Exports perfume Category:Exports pottery Category:Exports wine